Led by Conference Vice
President Boise Mayor H. Brent Coles, seven Idaho mayors and two county
commissioners gathered atop a ski mountain near Boise May 3-5 to plan the
future of their region, appropriately named the Treasure Valley.

Treasure Valley, nestled
at the foot of the Sawtooth Mountains, consists of Ada and Canyon counties
and the cities and towns encompassed within them. Those who had gathered
here for the second time in three years were not strangers. They met to
figure out new and better ways to cooperate and manage the rapid growth that
their cities and towns are experiencing. Mayor Coles, representing Boise,
the largest of the city/county partners, willingly shares the floor with all
his counterparts - city and county, large and small.

These ten local elected
officials are trailblazers in city/county relations. All share the same
commitment and vision to protecting their valley and guiding its development
smartly for everyone's benefit.

The Treasure Valley
Partnership, celebrating its third anniversary this June, gathered for a
three day "Summit 2000 - Building Better Places Through Regional
Cooperation" along with a resource team of experts in economics and
community planning to address the region's rapid growth and to look at
transportation and land use planning. Since its inception in 1997 at the
urging of Mayor Coles, this formalized Partnership has worked to improve the
process of governance in the region so that all of its citizens are better
served and policy decisions can be made in a more informed and strategic
manner. The Partnership also documented its progress over the past three
years and redefined its goals for the next two. Since 1997, the Partnership
has tackled water quality, transportation, airsheds, and public safety and
will continue to work on rail transit, parks and open space, comprehensive
planning and outreach.

Prior to the Summit, all
members were assigned homework using a case study related to future growth
in the valley. By walking around their neighborhoods, riding the rail system
and taking pictures of their communities, the mayors and county officials
gained a first hand view of how growth is occurring.

Membership in the
Partnership is limited and open to local elected officials of cities and
counties in the Treasure Valley. Partnership members meet on a monthly
basis.

Current active members
include the cities of Boise, Caldwell, Eagle, Garden City, Kuna, Meridian,
Nampa, Parma, Star along with Ada and Canyon Counties. For more information
on the Treasure Valley Partnership, please contact Elizabeth Conner, Project
Manager at 208-869-7298 or or visit the Joint Center's website
located at www.usmayors.org/sustainable.